DESIRE

While most players waltzed into the locker room the required 90 minutes before game time, Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird used to be seen on the floor by at least 6:00, more than two hours before tip-off.  

In the loneliness of Boston Garden, with only attendants and a few Celtics season ticket holders present, Bird shot more than 300 practice shots.  He'd start with 6 to 10 free throws, move out on the court a bit, and then start firing away at a comfortable pace as teammate Joe Qatato hit him with perfect passes.  

Then the "Parquet Picasso," as he was dubbed, would speed up the routine and by the end of the workout throw up rapid-fire shots, many featuring the Bird "drop back a step" maneuver that guaranteed him an opening from every angle.  "I really don't count my shots," Bird said. "I just shoot until I feel good."

The shooting practice was reflective of Bird's desire and his love for the game.  "That's the number one thing, the desire," he explained.  "The ability to do the things you have to do to become a basketball player.  I don't think you can teach desire.  I don't know why I have it, but I do."

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